We, the Fallen
by Aurakann
Summary: In an alternate universe, where time has stood still, where war lords are tearing the nation apart, Aomine Daiki and Kise Ryouta learn that life isn't always beautiful, the hard way.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki.

**Title**: We, the Fallen

**Summary**: In an alternate universe, where time has stood still, where war lords are tearing the nation apart, Aomine Daiki and Kise Ryouta learn that life isn't always beautiful, the hard way.

**Warning**: If BL or male x male relationships offend you, please do not read. Also, characters' death, rating might change in the near future.

**A/N**: This is the first time I've ever posted something I've written. This story will be a sort of trilogy + prologue, epilogue. I am just so excited and hope you will enjoy reading it. If there are any grammar errors or anything, please feel free to point it out.

* * *

_{Prologue}_

A long whistling tore the air.

The game has just started. It was yet to be decided.

As the two teams stepped onto the court, crowds cheered, teammates shouted, and light shone onto them, them alone. It is a good feeling, to be the center of attentions, to have a thousand sights upon you…

They became kings. It took them a matter of second, one step, one small step beyond that white boundary, to feel like they have become kings of the world. Or rather, the court. It was a small world, indeed. A small world, a small kingdom, with circles and lines drawn on the floor… But for them, it meant everything at that moment. The world stopped beyond those lines. Beyond those lines, was a void; where their existence disappeared; where they ceased to be.

Two kingdoms, two clans faced each other on the court.

The two men wearing number 4 became the feudal lords, preparing the war on their respective side. They were the leader who led their people to victory, to honor and fame, promised them a better life after each battle, and cried out to the angels to have mercy for their men. They were the pillars of that held that world together.

The point guards were the wise sages. Watching the enemy's every movement, they were the ones who determined the game's pace. Faster, slower, the world had to succumb to their desire; which is why they are – most of the time – the one to bear the number 4 on their back. The team inherited their will. They were the light that showed the path to victory.

The shooting guards were the archers from the towers. Fingertips guiding a precise attack, they drew each bow with care. Accuracy beyond beliefs qualified them. Serene, still, breathtaking, their arrows shot through all sort of defense, and threatened the king in his tall fortress. They were the silence that reassured the men at night.

The small forwards and the power forwards were the brave knights who wielded their sword in the name of their king. They did not know fear. They did not have any reason to. Their existence was merely to serve their lord, to kill for him, to cry his name on the battlefield, to raise his banner once they have won, to die for him. Without such things as cowardice, they barged in the enemy's territory, ran, dodged, jumped, and dunked their ultimate attack. They were the faithful soldier who protected the king along with his people.

The centers were the tower's guarding men. As tall and as strong as the oldest tree, they would sacrifice anything to avoid a fatal attack. And, if luck decided to be on their side, counter that attack. They were the stone wall that protected the realm.

And the tower, their tower, the hoop stood at each world's edge, rigid, untouched, still flawless. They were the goal, their reward, the reason they were fighting. Two points, three if shot outside of the foe's territory. Each hoop, each dunk, each shot made were like a direct charge on their king. And, as the points gap grew larger, the other party weakened, until they can no longer stand on their feet, scattered, wrecked, broken. Such sweet victory!

On that rectangle, youth was consumed. It flashed and disappeared the moment after, like a lightning, ephemeral. Passion burned and extinguished. Tension ate the ten soldiers, tasting them first, giving them the sweetness of triumph to lure them in, and as the preys get tangled in their web, bit them bit by bit, until they were no more.

It was war.

But, as the game ceased, it ended. Both empires would be brought to an end when the whistle is blown. And, as the veterans walked out, they would, once again, become nothing but high school students.

But what if? What if it was no longer merely a game? What if it has never been a game, but a real war, where blood was given to the earth below and soul was given to the sky above? In an alternative universe, where time froze, where lords are still fighting for territories, where knights and bishops loyally give their life for their master, where peace is always walking on a thin thread.

Where our characters are no longer as we know them.

* * *

There! Prologue is done! Hope you enjoyed it and hope to see you soon.

- Aurakann


	2. Chapter 1 - Eternal

**Disclaimer:** Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki

**Title:** We, the Fallen – Chapter 1: Eternal

**Word count:** 4014

**Warning:** Nothing in particular

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

Eternal

{-}

_Love is eternal. No matter how far you throw it away, it will always come back to knock at your door. And, if you just leave it to dust, it will be just where you left it, waiting for you to come back and pick it up. _

_Because it knows you will._

{-}

This story took place in a far, far away land, a land unknown to nowadays. On this land, lived all sort of people. Merchants, smiths, farmers, soldiers, nobles… Peace ruled over all of them; and they were happy with it. Life just went on each day.

But then, as the season switched to spring, a group of young men appeared on that harmonious kingdom. It was said, long after, that there were six of them. But most people would only be able to name five. The sixth man became a sort of legend. They called him the phantom sixth man. Some might even say that he was not real.

– But he was there alright. –

That said, even if he wasn't there, the other five young men created a clan named Teiko. They all had a specific talent. The clan unified the whole land together, and was reined by its creators. You could say that peace was once again on top, or rather, it has never been torn away from the people. Finally, they were called a generation that has never been seen before, a generation of young talented people, unbeatable, unbendable, the Generation of Miracles that has brought changes to the nation. And so, three years passed. As the young rulers each grew stronger, the invisible red string that has been holding them together stretched, until it broke. Started a war. The five young men, that has, by then, grown up, each walked down their own path. The land split into various small clans.

There were six great kinfolks.

The first clan was called Seirin. It was the only group that did not obtain a member of the Teiko clan (or so they thought).

The second clan was called Touo. Known for their strict selection, they only chose warriors with the most talents. They took in the person who was known as the Blue Ace of Teiko, their finest and proudest battler, Aomine Daiki.

The third clan was called Shuutoku. They got the perfect shooter, Midorima Shintaro.

The fourth clan was called Kaijo. They got the renowned golden beauty of Teiko, Kise Ryouta.

The fifth clan was called Yosen. They were also known as the Giants of the North due to the monstrous height each man had and their location north. They got – obviously – the tallest of the Generation of Miracles, Murasakibara Atsushi.

And, lastly, the sixth clan, that got the leader of Teiko, Akashi Seijuro – who eventually becomes the clan's leader –, was called Rakuzan, nicknamed Kings of the South. Thus, were the six clans that will play the most important part in our story…

{-}

_**À la claire fontaine m'en allant promener  
J'ai trouvé l'eau si belle que je m'y suis baigné**_

{-}

"It's been awhile." The taller figure bluntly said to the pretty boy in front of him. The Kaijo residence's corridor was silent after the sun has set, and especially cold on a winter night like this one. He could not understand why his leader – and master, even if he did not really want to admit it – fancies these times the most.

Kise Ryouta glanced at Aomine Daiki. "It's been awhile." He answered shortly with the same sentence, showing his lack of ambition to talk to the tanned man.

"Kise" Aomine whispered. He would be lying if he said that he has not been taken back by the other man's coldness towards him. The heart-warming, overjoyed Kise was nowhere to be seen.

The blond did not answer. His eyes had already drifted somewhere else, somewhere without Aomine. He did not approve the slightest desire to see the blue haired man in this residence. When he learned it from his master, he pleaded and begged to be sent out on a mission, any kind of mission. If the meeting could not be changed, then take him away from the headquarters. But Kasamatsu would not listen to him. The older man insisted that the number one soldier should always be near his lord.

So there he was, staring out to the occidental styled garden. What was he looking at anyway? He could careless as long as it wasn't Aomine.

Aomine and his beautiful abs showing under his open vest. Aomine and his muscular arms, each covered by a black iron forearm protector. Aomine fought with his punches and kicks. And, occasionally, with short knives, or a spear. He lived in a desert nomad clan, where life was adventurous and rough. He was so different from Kise, who was dressed like a prince from a European country. He lived in the most beautiful part of the land, surrounded by lakes and forests. Kise used swords to fight and two of them, to be precise.

And those were just a small part of their difference.

"Oi!" Aomine almost snapped. He hated to be ignored, especially from the oh-so-clingy Kise. Even though, deep inside, he knew what that blond was thinking, what the blond has been thinking since summer. He did not want to accept it. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't Kise's fault. This damned world should be at fault for pulling them apart. "Ryouta!" he tried again.

And it worked. Kise lost all composure for a moment. His eyes, that has been looking God knows where for awhile, widened. He bit his lips, something he would always do when he was embarrassed or thinking hard. He finally looked back at the dark skinned man.

"Please do not call me in such an intimidating way." He asked, formally, his golden eyes dead serious. "Aominecchi, we are enemies right now. There hasn't been a conclusion to the meeting yet." He stated.

"Damn that meeting! Kise, that kind of thing shouldn't determine our fate!" He shouted. Was Kise that mad?

"The meeting has nothing to do with it." There was a long pause. Kise's eyes shifted away once again. "It has nothing to do… with us." The last two words were bitterly uttered out from the trembling lips. When was the last time he was this close to Aomine? It was probably just last summer. But, one summer felt like a lifetime.

That fateful summer day that changed their lives…

{-}

_It was a hot summer night. The moon was glowing in the sky. Its craters silently watched as the ground below faded into black. One by one, houses turned off their lights._

_But inside the headquarters, activities never end. Kise Ryouta and Aomine Daiki waited in the dark corridor of the Kaijo residence. At this hour, there weren't much people anymore. They were alone. But they could still hear the faint voices from their lords beyond the paper door._

"_It's been awhile, Kise." Aomine smiled at the blond. He approached him casually. His ex-clansman smiled back and took his hand._

"_It's only been a few months." Kise said. His fingers weaved with Aomine's. It was warm, his hand, and rough, and big, and scarred, and stained, and perfect. "I did miss you, Aominecchi." He said softly._

"_Me too" Sweet words were whispered into his left ear. Then his earring was nibbled. Kise laughed._

_Indeed, three months have passed since they last saw each other. The last time – if he remembered correctly – was when they all said goodbye at the crossroad, all five of them. By that time, Kuroko has already left. Until today, he still has not understood as for why. And, somehow, he most likely did not want to understand that mysterious teammate of his, for so many reasons._

_A pair of thin lips brushed against his cheek. He could feel the hot breath on his face. It was hotter than the summer air around them. Kise closed his eyes. He waited for the soft push against his own lips, which he got just a moment after. And then, as both lovers started to crave for slightly more, he parted them. Aomine bit his lower labrum. Kise winced in pain. The blue haired has never learned to be gentle with other people… Or maybe, it was just with one person…_

_Kise chased those thoughts away. Right then he should be more focused on the sweet kiss Aomine was giving him. His tongue was scrapped by the other person's teeth, and then it was gently bitten and pulled. His hands grabbed onto to the little fabrics Aomine had on him – which was the vest –. He was out of breath. He needed to breathe. But his partner did not want to let him go. And he, himself, did not want to let go of the moment either. And so, it was only when Aomine ran out of oxygen that the kiss ended. But Kise was still in his arms. And the tanned would kill anyone who tried to take this person away from his clutch._

_But everything must come to an end._

_The paper door slid open violently. Imayoshi stepped out, his sly grin, as always, on his face. Kasamatsu stayed beside the door. He leaned on it tiredly and looked at Kise and Aomine, a sort of strange sympathy in his eyes._

"_Come on, let's go Aomine." Wakamatsu called out to the number one battler of Touo._

_Aomine snorted. It was clear that he was irritated by this sudden disturbance. Without looking at the blond, he squeezed the hand he was holding one time before leaving._

_Kise smiled._

_It meant "Goodbye."_

_And "See you soon."_

_And "I miss you."_

_And "I still want to be with you."_

_And "I don't want to leave."_

_And so much more meanings can be given to this simple act. But Kise knew its most important one:_

_It also meant "I love you"_

"_You shouldn't be so close to another clan's man." Kasamatsu stated._

"_Oh come on my lord. Aomine's an old friend from the Teiko days." Kise said._

"_You shouldn't be too close to him. Or else you'll regret it."_

_The leader's voice was grave. Kise felt uneasiness built up inside his body. Brick by brick, it established a wall of anxiety._

"_What's happening?" He had to gather all his courage to ask._

"_We just declared war to Touo." Kasamatsu looked straight into his eyes. Not the slightest amusement in his. Not like he was the type to joke around anyway. But Kise hoped he was. He truly hoped that moment._

_He could not believe his ears. Was he just dreaming? Or maybe he was hallucinating? Maybe it was a delusion? He must be tired. Yes, that's right, it was a tiring day. Things like this couldn't happen._

"_It's war, Kise." The clan's head's words hit him again like a hammer._

_His smile did not fade away. It did not while he watched his lover leave with that creepy man, as Aomine turned back to look at him with a pale face, as the tanned man almost rushed back to him only to be stopped by Wakamatsu. But inside, inside of him was screaming with all its might. _

{-}

Silence. Both of them refused to talk. Most likely because they did not know what to say. On one side of the path, Kise tried to find a way to break away from the ace next to him. On the other side of the path, Aomine was trying to find an argument against Kise's childish bickers.

'This is getting too tangled.' Aomine thought. Even if he knew what the blond was thinking, even if he knew what was going on in that gold covered skull right then, he still couldn't figure what made the blond so mad. It was the last missing puzzle. Yet, it was the hardest – and the most important – piece to find.

'Let the meeting end already…' Kise thought. For he was like a trapped man, unable to escape those contemplating deep blue eyes. He knew that Aomine missed one point about his feelings. Because Aomine would always be Aomine, not understanding, careless, and hot headed.

"It's war, Aominecchi. Can't you understand such simple facts?" The blond unconsciously clenched his right hand on his sword. "It was war. And it is still war. The battles won't be ending soon."

"So what if it is war?" Aomine asked back. He did notice the blonde's nervousness. But yet again, could not define the cause of it. "What if the battles don't end soon? What does that have to do with us!?"

"Why do you have to act like a child? This isn't a game Aominecchi! It's a fact of life and death!"

"I couldn't careless, Kise. All I care about is…"

"You don't care about anything!" Kise stopped the tanned man from saying another word. He knew what Aomine was going to say. And he did not want to hear it, for he knew it would only be a lie, a syllable lost in the moment. "Stop it Aomine. Stop all of this. I can't take it any longer."

It took Aomine awhile to absorb the information, to realize that Kise just called him by his name, his normal name, and to notice that beautiful teardrops were falling down the other's fair skin. He made Kise cry.

{-}

_He watched the smaller body fall to the ground and pulled difficultly his spear from the warm elbow flesh. Where was he again? Oh yes… the battlefield. The air was filled with screams, and yells, and howls, and roars, and laments, especially laments. Soldiers whose bodies were severely wounded lay helpless on the floor. Some – most of them to be accurate – were begging for mercy to God and, some others, to the enemy standing head hide, ready to deliver the coup fatale._

_So, it was the battlefield… How long have he been here though? It felt like the moment he set foot on this empty land was years ago. But, if he remembered correctly, he hasn't even seen the sun set yet._

_He looked down at the wounded Kise. How did it end up like this? How can it end up like this? Hurting his beloved was the last thing he wanted to do. Yet, there he was, among thousands of cadavers, holding a blade against the magnificent throat._

_Kise just smiled. The same old smile _

_Maybe it they went wrong somewhere._

_Or maybe fate just decided to play an awful prank on them._

"_Go on Aominecchi. Claim your victory." Kise closed his eyes and tilted his head up, giving the winner a better access to his throat. He knew he was trembling and could only hope that Aomine did not see it._

_But there was no pain. No cut, no blood, no, nothing… Just the awful screams clamoring around him. The sliver spear was lifted from his neck. The blond opened his eyes once again._

"_What do you think you're doing?" He asked the tanned man._

_Aomine did not answer him. He just threw his spear onto his shoulder, the other hand on his hips, and looked down to his defeated friend._

"_You're my lover. It's not like I can do you any more harm."_

_Those words pierced Kise. Worst than the wound he just received. 'Lover' he said? As if Aomine has ever seen him as a real lover._

_A lot of things happened between that night and today. Things that has changed Kise's way of thinking… For example, he now knew that Aomine has never seen him as more as a replacement for the disappeared shadow. Aomine will never truly love him. The man may not even be conscious about it, but, it was the truth._

_And that was why it hurt to hear those words uttered out so lightly._

_And that was why his eyes started to burn and a small lump formed in his throat._

_And that was why tears started to fall for his golden irises._

"_Lovers, you say?" His voice was trembling just as much as his hands. "This is my pride we are talking about! And you're just squashing it with the word 'lover'?"_

_Aomine seemed shocked by his sudden rage. Sure… Aomine did not know such things as a loser's pride. He has never lost. And – most likely – he will never lose. So how can he understand it? How could he have understood the anger he has built inside Kise?_

"_Kill me, right now." Kise insisted. He was a man of Kaijo, high in honor and pride. Letting his enemy spare his life over such sentiments would be a disgrace._

_Aomine's face hardened._

"_Such obvious victory doesn't amuse me." Aomine said coldly as he walked away, into the chaotic field._

_The hour of Touo's victory was marked only by the sound of men screaming. And among those screams, was Kise's, a long, strident scream from a broken hearted man. _

_War showed its true face, out there, among the broken and the scattered._

{-}

That was the first time that Aomine saw Kise crying. The first time, and the last time, he has thought. But here he was, silently watching as the blond sobbed and wiped his tears with the back of his gloved hands.

As for Kise, that time, he thought that he had successfully thrown his adoration for Aomine away, that that love left when the blue haired man walked away from the battlefield. But here he was, crying his heart out, wishing Aomine would just hold him, kiss him, and make love to him. Love has never left him.

It was definitive, eternal.

_**Sous les feuilles d'un chêne, je me suis fait séché  
Sur la plus haute branche, un rossignole chantait**_

{-}

The ambiance was just as heavy in the meeting room. Kasamatsu stared at Touo's leader, Imayoshi.

'I just can't stand that smile.' He thought.

They could hear sobs from outside. Kasamatsu knew that they were from Kise. Kise's tears hurt him the most, thought he would never admit it to the blond or anybody else.

So he just smiled.

"See? You're making my right hand man cry." He said mockingly.

Imayoshi did not respond directly. The man just looked at the paper door, his scary smile growing wider.

"It can't be helped." He answered finally. "No matter what you say, Touo will not ally with Kaijo."

"And why is that?" Touo's stubbornness was getting Kasamatsu on his nerves. To tell the truth, he was not that found of the idea of allies, but the threats from North and South was getting dangerous. "Rakuzan and Yosen decided to fight together in order to conquer the Center. We are all in danger. You cannot fight alone."

"I know that much."

"Then why won't you…" He wanted to punch this bastard's face so badly.

Imayoshi contemplated the sake glass before taking another sip.

"Haven't you ever thought of the possibility that we have already agreed with another clan?" was the rhetorical question he received back. And it hit him. Why has he never thought about it? There were still two other clans, Seirin and Shutoku.

"Seirin?" He tried. They were the closest to Touo culturally. Plus, Shutoku does not have any frontier with Touo.

"Got it right!" Imayoshi laughed. "We might have won them last summer. But since then they have grown stronger. Now, they're an important supporter."

Imayoshi took off his glasses to clean them. He seemed overjoyed by the looks on Kasamatsu's face.

"If you can make Seirin join with you, then we will become your accomplices too." He put the specs back, finished his sake, and stood up. "I hope we won't be interrupting those two lovebirds outside."

The sobbing has already stopped.

{-}

A rough hand touched his cheek. He wanted to push it away. He wanted to push it away so badly. But he could not. Because, after all that has happened, he still desired this touch with all his life.

Was it because it was gentle? No, that couldn't be. This hand, that has killed numerous people, that has ripped apart hopes and beliefs, could never be gentle. So why was he longing for it this much?

Maybe because it was warm? No it couldn't be that either. This cold hearted beast could never have such warm hands.

But still, his own hands clung onto them. He bit his lips in order to suppress the sobs that were fighting their way up. He never wanted to look so pitiful in front of Aomine again. And here he was, clinging desperately to this last act of kindness – or was it pity? – the man had to offer him.

'It will end soon. All of this will end soon…' He tried to convince himself. 'And when it all ends, I will no longer love this man.' He tried and cried from his own thoughts. How could he ever forget Aomine? How can he ever stop loving this cruel man?

"Kise" His name was called so gently. This was not Aomine. Aomine could never be this gentle. All Aomine has ever thought was sex, alcohol and fighting. So how can he be this…?

How can he embrace Kise so sweetly?

"Kise stop crying." Another hard finger wiped his tears away. He wanted to take back what his thought, Aomine was anything but gentle. The skin under his eyes hurt.

"I love you Kise."

Ah… that again… He knew it was an obvious lie, from an obviously stupid person, for another obviously stupid person.

He did want to scream back that it wasn't true, that Aomine was just searching for an object to fill the empty space in his heart left by another man, that he won't believe it any more. But Kise was not that brave. He was not strong enough to push those sugar covered words away.

So he just opened his eyes to look at the other man's face.

And then he saw Aomine's face. A childish over-concerned face. It made him laugh. He wondered why. He was so sad, and somehow amused by that look he has never seen on that tanned face. Aomine must think that he has gone crazy, crying then laughing. His humor flickered like a candle exposed to soft wind.

Lips silenced his laughter. Tongue pulled him into the other man's trap, enslaved once again to these lovely movements. Hands grabbed his blond hair along with his shattered heart.

The door slid open. The two men parted. Aomine walked away with his clansmen. Nothing more was said to each other. Nothing has been concluded.

His eyes must be swollen. It must have been quite a sight for his lord. But Kise did all his best to keep his perfect smile upon his lips.

"So, how was the meeting?" He asked, though he already knew from Kasamatsu's look and from Touo's quick departure that it must have been a total failure.

"Nomads are hard to deal with." Kasamatsu scoffed. "They're a pain in the ass. I told you, you shouldn't get too involved with them."

"Seems like I haven't learned my lesson…" Kise smiled. He could never let the thought of those honey burnt abs, the smell of exotic spices, and the blue sea hair go.

He has already been trapped by that careless thief.

"So what have you decided?" He continued his questions.

There was a long yawn from Kaijo's feudal lord. The moon was high in the starry sky. He stretched his arms above his head. "I'm going to sleep." He said instead of answering.

Kise did not say more.

"We'll travel to Seirin as soon as possible." He heard Kasamatsu said as his master walked away to rest. He too, should rest. But he knew too well that he would not close an eye for the next three of four days.

Aomine's kiss lingered on his lips.

It lingered, and burned him.

* * *

**A/N:** That took forever to write. Sorry! It's just impossible to find any inspiration with all theses exams. But Winter holidays are coming up so I hope Chapter 2 won't take as long to write =)

Hope you guys enjoyed it!

**Notes:** A la Claire fontaine is a traditional French folk song.

The two parts I've used can be translated like this:

At the clear fountain, while I was walking by  
I have found the water so beautiful, that I went in for a bathe

Under the leaves of an oak tree, I dried myself  
On the highest branch, a nightingale was singing

This song can be interpreted so many ways, but my favorite deduction is:

The water refers to the lover, the subject of love

The oak tree refers to seduction

The nightingale refers to love ('a nightingale was singing' can be understood as 'love bloomed')


	3. Chapter 2 - Ephemeral

**Disclaimer:** Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki

**Title:** We, the Fallen – Chapter 2: Ephemeral

**Word count:**

**Warning:** Rating M for sexual content (though it's just a tiny little bitty bit) Safety first.

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

Ephemeral

{-}

_Love is ephemeral._

_Sure, if you manage to catch it – or it manages to catch you – love is eternal._

_But, if either of you do not manage to get to the other's heart. Then love will just leave. And it will never come back._

{-}

* * *

The sun was high above. It was hot, unbearably hot.

Kise wiped the pearls of sweat that has formed on his forehead. The back of his shirt was starting to get damp. A man from the Center like him couldn't take the burning sun of the desert. His beloved white horse also seemed to be having problems with the heat.

"My lord, are we there yet?" He shouted to the head of the traveling line. Kasamatsu was leading the way, three or four horses away from Kise.

"Shut up!" The older man did not want to hear another whining word from his subordinate. He knew it was hot. He knew it was unbearable. He, himself, hated how his sweat has stuck the fabrics of his shirt on his skin. But what could he do? The gods have created this horrifying land in order to keep the humans away. But they human still did all they could to conquer this land.

"You are annoying." A monotonous complaint came from the blonde's left.

Kise turned his head to his old companion, Midorima. On their way they stopped at Shutoku, an ally of Kaijo, and asked them if they would come with them to convince Seirin to join the battle. The lord could not make it, so he sent out his two best mages instead, Takao Kizunari and Midorima Shintaro.

Shutoku was close to Kaijo, culturally. They were at the far north, right under Yosen. That might be why they were really anticipating this start of war. Shutoku was a clan based on magic and witchcraft. Most of their soldiers did not wield a sword but a wand. Midorima's wand was made out of a thousand years old oak that grew in the forbidden forest. The tip of it was a crystallized dragon heart. It glows green under the moonlight. Legend has it that, once, dragons were rampant. But then, the humans came onto this land and hunted them down one by one for their night black claws, their golden eyes, their indestructible scales, and – most importantly – their emerald colored heart.

"Midorimacchi you're so mean!" Kise whined more.

"Kise's right Shin-chan, it's not because it is hot that you can be mean to everyone." Takao smiled. "But Seirin's really… though. To be able to live in such place…"

Seirin, just like Touo, was a mostly arid country, with mostly deserts as its inner territory and a large cost to the West. But, unlike Touo, they weren't nomads. The main city – though there was only a quarter of the population of Kaijo's capital – faced the sea. Fishing was the main activity. The sea was abundant of different varieties of fishes; blue or yellow, big or small.

Kise was starting to wonder about this alliance problem. Why did Touo refuse? They were clearly threatened by Rakuzan's great power just underneath them. So why push away an offer like that one? And why are they heading to Seirin right now? He asked the person who decided it at the beginning of the journey but never actually got an answer.

He could see the small gate of the small city growing near. The sea wind caressed his face. With it came small grains of sand. They stuck onto his moist skin. Kise rumbled as he tried his best to wipe them away. But all he managed to do was sticking them onto his palm instead. In the air, a soft scent of salt floated leisurely.

They marched into the city. Most of the housings were tents or small houses built from some sort of sand based mixture he could not define. Surprisingly, despite being exposed to the terrifying sun, the habitants had fair white skin. They peeked out of their windows as he and his troop, strangers, walked through the sanded streets.

The headquarters looked like a palace, a large Middle Eastern style building made out of white marble. It shined under the sunlight, giving out a chilly feeling amidst the blazing air.

The great gates of the palace opened. Guards walked out to welcome them. Among the well dressed men Kise saw Kuroko. The blue haired boy did not change. His expressionless face, his light blue hair, and his small figure, all remained the same way as Kise remembered it. He was cute, precious. Something any man would die for in order to protect. That has always been what Kuroko is, precious. And somewhere deep inside, Kise despised it. Or rather, was dead jealous of it. It was this preciousness that stole the heart of the light away…

"Welcome to Seirin." Kuroko bowed. "You must be tired. Let us…"

"I want to meet your lord right now." Kasamatsu cut the blue haired boy, for he was a man without any time left.

"Well then…" Kuroko did not even flinch at the somewhat rude interruption of Kaijo's feudal lord. "Please follow me inside." He turned his heels and walked into the big curved red door. Kaijo and Shuutoku followed him in.

The inside of the headquarters was just as magnificent as the outside. The walls were painted in bright colors. The ceiling was decorated with long sheets of golden silk. Hundreds of halls, stairs and passages led to thousands of rooms and chambers. It was a labyrinth, a beautiful labyrinth.

The young secretary led them down numerous halls. A path they would have never found by themselves. This was one of Seirin's tactics. This labyrinth-like palace served to confuse all intruders and attack them while they were lost in one of the useless wings of the building. Finally, he stopped in front of a humble wooden door Far East of the palace. Kuroko opened it. The first thing that came out of the room was a strong smell of flower and shisha smoke. Hyuga Junpei was sitting in the middle of what looked like a pillow castle, his right hand holding the pipe of a Hookah, looking at the smoke ring he was puffing. Beside him were Izuki Shun, his right hand man – and also his personal concubine – and Kiyoshi Teppei, his best friend and bodyguard. Both were also smoking the flavored tobacco, Izuki from the same pipe as his Lord, Kiyoshi from another Hookah.

"Come on in!" Hyuga invited them in a cheery voice. He was merry ever since they got an important ally like Touo whom they were fed up to fight against.

Kasamatsu was the only one to enter. He did not force Kise inside with him.

"My lord, do you want me to…" Kise proposed.

"Just go wherever you want Kise." The door was shut to the blonde's face coldly. For a moment, he just stood there, kind of shocked. But then, Kasamatsu would always be this cold to him so he guessed that it was nothing special.

The truth was that Kasamatsu cared for the blonde more than he could have ever imagined. And that was why he refused to let Kise know about the ally matters, for he did not want to wound his ace anymore. Kasamatsu knew how much scarred Kise was. And how much wounds Kise has on that were still far from healed. So he did not want the blonde to hurt himself any longer.

Because, somewhere, deep inside, he cared too much for this man…

And so, there they were, Kise and Kuroko, in front of the closed door, with nothing much to say to each other. And it did bother Kise.

"You haven't changed, Kise." Surprisingly, Kuroko was the first one to start a conversation. The two young men slowly drifted away from the door, down the corridor, into another hall, and further. Kise did not know where he was going or why he was following the blue haired.

"I think I changed." He smiled. "You're the one who didn't change an inch, Kurokocchi."

And their conversation took a halt when, from one of the rooms, barged a tall, well-built man. Kise has never seen him before, but something about this stranger eerily reminded him of Aomine. Even though his skin was lighter, even though his hair was burning red and carbonized underneath, even though his look was softer, there was something, something Kise could not define, and it frightened him. This man wasn't from the main land. He was a foreigner. What are rare thing to see upon this land.

"There you are Kuroko! Don't vanish like that!" The man said angrily to the smaller person.

"I had to go greet Kaijo's and Shutoku's reps, Kagami."

Kise has heard of that name before. Kagami Taiga, along with another person of his country, traveled across the sea to this place. The reasons are still unknown and Kise did not know that he was taken in by Seirin. Men from across the sea were rumored to have unnatural strength and beauty. At least the former was already assured.

"Kaijo? Then there's one of them right? One of the Generation of Miracles!" He seemed overjoyed by the fact. His eyes diverged to Kise. "Is this him?" He asked Kuroko who just nodded. There was a simple scoff.

"At least he looks better than the other one." Kagami snorted. Then, as if he has lost all interest, he tucked Kuroko's sleeve. "Hey, come on. We haven't finished yet."

"But, I still have to…" Kuroko seemed bothered by it. Kise did not know what it was. But he could tell that the blue haired wanted to go.

"It's okay to leave me." Kise said finally. He, himself, did not really want to stay with his ex-clansman… He liked Kuroko, just as much as he respected this phantom sixth man. But he still could not forgive the younger man for what he did, for leaving them so suddenly, without any distinct reasons or goodbyes. After Akashi has announced that Kuroko has left, Kise saw it in Aomine's face: betrayal and desperation. It was probably that moment that he realized that the dark skinned heart did not belong to him, has never belonged to him. And his own heart broke. At first, he refused to accept it. For a really long time, he lied to himself. He convinced himself that Aomine cared about him more than anything. He managed to do that for years and years. But then, war happened.

When Kise was drawn back from his thoughts, Kuroko has already vanished. He could not help but laugh. What a convenient skill it was.

{-}

_**Chante, rossignole, chante Toi qui a le cœur gai**_

_**Tu as le cœur à rire Moi je l'ai à pleurer**_

{-}

So Kise just erred around the huge building. To tell the truth, he did not really know where to go or what to do, now that his guide has left him. So he just went where his feet brought him. But the halls never ended. He turned and turned and walked back but could no longer find his way.

"Ah… damn I'm lost." He muttered to himself. "What should I do now…?"

But all he could do was continue on walking.

Kise heard footsteps from the corner right in front of him. He thanked the old gods a million time and ran up to whoever it was – he did not care –.

"Damn I think I already came this way…" A lazy voice complained.

At that moment, Kise wanted to turn his heels and run back form where he came from. Oh how he desired to do that! But it was too late. His eyes met those navy blue ones. And they both seemed surprised.

"Oi, what are you doing here Kise?" Aomine spoke up to the awkward silence between them. He, himself, only learned about the alliance after arriving in Seirin two days ago. Ever since arriving, he had had nothing to do and only drank and slept. He lost his clansmen along the days. Not that it bothered him to be alone.

"I… I should be asking you." Kise faltered, looked down then to a window nearby, blushed at his own reaction. Aomine was the last person he was expecting to see in this far off land. And since that night, that passionate kiss, Kise has not been able to stop thinking about this man.

"Touo has allied with Seirin." Aomine explained shortly, for it annoyed him quite much.

'Oh… So that's what was happening…' Kise finally understood his lord's intentions. And he smiled. Not because he understood but because the thought of Aomine and Kuroko on the same side came to his mind. It was still unsure if Seirin will accept their invitation to the war. Seirin was a peaceful clan. They disliked chaos and would only fight when every other possibilities has faded. So a contract to go to war would probably be nothing more than annoyance to them. Somehow, Kise was sure that they would refuse it.

At last, he decided that he really did not want to lengthen this conversation any longer and walked back.

"Kise" His name was called lazily, the 'e' was stretched out. "Oi, come on. Don't run away again."

He turned to the tanned man who followed him. "I am not… running away…" The last sentence was quietly muttered out. "Still, quit following me Aominecchi."

"But I don't have anything else to do. Plus…"

"I don't care if you don't have anything else to do. Leave me alone already." Kise quickened his pace. "I don't want to see y…"

His shoulder was grabbed from beside. Then, Aomine slammed him on the corridor's wall, his hand pinning the blond steadily against the cold wall. The ace frowned. He gritted his teeth. His finger dug into the other's shoulder. He was mad. Kise could tell it easily. For this was far from the first the he saw Aomine reacting like this. Aomine would always solve things like this, with strength and fists.

"Kise, look at me!" Aomine shouted to his face.

And he, Kise was no better, running away. He did realize that. Kise may not want to accept it. It was a natural instinct. He was scarred, and scared. And he did not need a new bruise. He hated pain. He refused to get hurt again. He refused to look into those two oceans, to get dragged into them, to drown miserably in that dark water.

"Kise!" Aomine sounded desperate.

'It's your imagination, Kise Ryouta. It is your freaking imagination…'

A kiss was forced. A hand was pinned against the marble. A vest was thrown to the ground. Kise fought. He swore to the old gods that he had fought that time. But no matter what he did, he was not as strong as Aomine. He would never be, as long as this adoration for this arrogant man was still pulling his heart back.

He heard a moan. It was neither his nor Aomine's. And his – forceful – partner must have heard it to. He tilted his head away from the blonde's lips and peeked at the door beside. Kise, unable to keep his curiousness in, peeked with him.

Inside the tangerine scented room was an act commit by two lovers. They enlaced each other, kissed, whispered sweet words. Kagami and Kuroko looked like real lovers. And the sight bruised Kise. Another wound added to his heart and mind. He looked at Aomine. What a jealous look he was wearing upon his face… dead jealous. Just like Kise right now. But the blond was sure they were not jealous of the same person.

Suddenly, his shortly released shoulder was pinned to the wall once again. He whined in surprise, surprised by the sharp pain and surprised by the lips that lowered to his pants. Aomine's free hand unbuckled his belt, letting his sword fall lamentably to the ground.

"Aominecchi!" He gasped as his pants were pulled down just enough to liberate his penis. The blue haired man's hand cupped his balls softly, playing with them.

"Be quiet, Kise." Aomine snorted. He kissed the tip of the hardening organ, ran his tongue down the length, sucked on a particular spot near the base that made Kise bend forward.

Kise pushed his partner's head away with his remaining hand. "Stop it!" He whined. But Aomine would not hear his complaints. The man shoved Kise's hand away, took all of him inside his mouth, down his throat. He bobbed his head, stopped a few time to suck softly, and continued.

Kise's hand was now used as a tool to stop his moans from escaping his lips. It felt good. Aomine was more into than usual. He was demanding more and more pleasure from the blond. While his hand was busy with Kise's phallus, he kissed down the blonde's navel, sucked his abdomen, and sent a shiver down the other's spine. Kise pleaded Aomine to stop. The blue haired ignored. Their minds were becoming blank. Passion and pleasure were slowly devouring their reasons; Kise's just as much as Aomine's.

He came.

He could not believe how fast it was or the sound he made as he let go of all – pride, dignity, reasons –.

It was embarrassing.

Aomine was satisfied with the result. He had swallowed it all, Kise's cum. There was a bitter-sweet taste in his mouth. A taste he missed, the taste of his lover.

_Bam…_

Kise punched his face. The blond pulled his pants on, buckled his belt roughly and walked away. It took a moment for Aomine to realize what just happened. He ran behind the blonde.

"Quit following me!" Kise suddenly stopped and turned to shout at Aomine. It hurt. It hurt so badly. He no longed wanted to face this man. He no longer wanted to see this man. It hurt…

"Leave me alone Aominecchi!"

"Oi Kise! What are you so mad about?" Aomine sincerely did not understand. Kise never particularly dislike having sexual intercourse in a public area – as long as there was nobody –. So why was he so displeased?

Kise wanted to cry. That time, really, he wanted to cry like child, to sit down and just scream with all his might. He wished he was not a grown up man. He wished he has never met this human being before him.

But that's not the case. He was not a child. He was the ace of Kaijo. He met Aomine Daiki years ago. He was madly in love.

So he could not cry.

_**J'ai perdu mon ami, sans l'avoir mérité**_

He could not expose his feelings.

_**Pour un bouquet de roses que je lui refusais**_

He could not…

"I can't anymore…" He could barely say, for the lump in his throat was hurting him. His eyesight blurred. Just how pitiful could he get? "I can't stand it anymore Aominecchi… I… love you… so much… so much it hurts…" Ah… there we go. Tears were falling. His lips shifted to a smile.

"I love you too, Kise." Aomine murmured. He made Kise cry again, the third time, and surely, not the last time. But, he would be lying if he said that Kise's face was not beautiful stained with tears.

"You don't love me Aomine!" Kise's voice broke, as well as his tears, running down more than ever. "You've never loved me. I was merely just a replacement… wasn't I?"

"Kise, what are you…?"

"But I could never be Kuroko!" Kise screamed at last. Why? Why did he have to love this man, this cruel, arrogant, ignorant, cold man? Why did he have to break his heart, his mind, his soul, for a single person? Why did he have to lie to himself for all these years? Why couldn't he be the one Aomine wanted?

"It hurts me, Aomine. My love for you… Even though I know that I will never be that person… I… I don't want to be hurt anymore… So, leave me please… Let me go…" He sobbed. He had no longer idea of what he was babbling about. His hands shook. He wanted to break away from this cage. But, even with the grill open, he was like a bird that refused to fly away. For his wings has been slashed off by love.

"What are you babbling on your own?!" Aomine grabbed his wrist and pulled into one of the rooms. He shoved Kise into a mountain of pillows of all sizes and colors. His large body came to crop the crying man. Kise tried to push him away, but he has lost all forces. So all he could do was sobbing underneath his trap.

"Kise…" Aomine whispered. The wrath that has taken him was slowly leaving. The sight of the usually bright Kise crying and whining tempered him. He wiped a tear, licked away another one, kissed the wet cheeks, then nibbled the trembling lips. "Ryouta… Look at me." He demanded.

It worked each time. Kise gazed at him. He was exhausted from crying and screaming. He stopped resisting. What good would it bring him anyway? He could never push this man away. He could never escape from that cage.

Rough hand stroked his hair.

"I love you, Ryouta."

Ah… that again… How many times does he have to cry to make Aomine understand? Kise was not loved. He was not.

"You don't…" Kise whispered.

Surprisingly, Aomine did not get mad. Rather, he was unable to get mad. A sort of sorrow has gripped his heart.

"Why won't you believe?" He kissed down the jaw line. "I love you." He undid the golden buttons and exposed the ivory chest.

"That's what you think. It's merely an illusion." Kise breathed out as his nipples were pinched. He could careless to hold in his moans now. Aomine kissed him so gently. Though he wanted to cry more, his tears stopped.

Aomine was too gentle.

"What makes you think that?" The blue ace asked as he disentangled his pants along with Kise's. "As a matter of fact, I have never fallen for Kuroko. If that's what you're thinking." He brushed his lips on his clavicle.

And that was it. Kise forced Aomine away from him.

"You are in love with Kuroko!" His strength regained him.

"Just why do you think that!?" Aomine's wrath resurged as well. Why was Kise so stubborn?

"You looked jealous, just now!" Kise stated. It was true. Aomine was jealous. He was jealous of Kagami. It was…

"Because they looked like real lovers!" Aomine blushed. "I was just envious that they looked happy… Not like us."

Aomine seized Kise's hand. "Why can't we look like real lovers?" He snorted angrily. "Damn it! I love you. What should I do make you believe me?"

His hand hurt. But somehow, a small wound in Kise's heart just healed. And he could feel in beat, his heart. It was a happy beat. "You love me? Aominecchi, you…" He could not even finish his sentence, for the joy in his heart suddenly urged out. He laughed. "I love you."

Was he being too simple-minded? Has he really been wrong to himself all these years? Aomine wanted to look like lovers with him. He wanted Kise to accept his love. Was this the truth? Ah, he did not care anymore.

A kiss was given, then another, then another. Whispers were shared. Their skin made contact. Hands caressed. Lips brushed. Fingers weaved.

At that time, did they look like lovers? Kise wondered.

{-}

"So, what do you think, Hyuga?" Kasamatsu glanced at Seirin's warlord. He was still sipping his alcohol happily.

"Well, I think that it is an interesting offer." Hyuga paused to breath in some smoke. "But we will have to refuse you." He smiled and handed the pipe to Izuki.

"And why would that be?" Kasamatsu wanted to kill someone. What was wrong with people of the desert? Why are they all so detestable?

"You see. I don't really want to go create a war here and there. Yosen and Rakuzan have never even threatened us." He blew a few smoke rings and glanced at Kasamatsu thought his glasses. Maybe it was the spectacles that made them so irritating. "I hope you understand…"

"I don't!" Kasamatsu slammed the low oak table in front of him, spilling the alcohol all over it. Kiyoshi stood up, only to be stopped by Hyuga.

"A fight is the last thing we need now." Seirin stated.

"But it will be the first thing you have." Kaijo pulled its sword.

But they never had the chance to start their little battle, for, suddenly, from the door, Takao came rushing in. In his hand was a letter delivered by a hawk from Shutoku.

The clan of magic has lost to Yosen. Taken by a blitzkrieg, they did not have the time to react and was easily out powered even with the help of the few hundreds of men from Kaijo who happened to be near by. Their clan fell in a matter of second. Takao and Midorima were the sole survivors, for they were not there.

"They are coming…" Takao said, holding back his anger and sorrow. "They…"

But the letter came in to late. The men in the room could hear the stampede of a thousand horses outside, coming nearer, nearer, intimidating.

Yosen has arrived in Seirin's territory.

"War has begun." Hyuga gritted his teeth.

{-}

"Kuroko, stay in here." Kagami said to his partner.

"I won't." Kuroko answered while putting on his armor. He gripped the curved sword in his hand. "We are in this together, Kagami."

Kagami clenched his hand around his spear. He truly did not want this small blue haired boy to go to war with him. It was not that he distrusted Kuroko. But the idea of that small body among the warfare frightened him.

A small hand slipped onto his chest.

"I am one of Teiko ex-clansman." He said with that monotonous of his. "I'm not as fragile as you think."

{-}

He breathed slowly on his lover's chest. Aomine's hand was on his bare back. His face was guided towards those lips. They sealed yet another kiss.

At far they could hear a war starting. But between who and who, they could not tell. They did not want to know either, for they were scared of the answer.

"My lord should be searching all over for me right now…" Kise thought about Kasamatsu, about his cold and uncaring words, about how he knew best. Was the older man out there yet? Fighting? Searching for his best warrior?

"Don't talk about it." Aomine hissed. "I'm sick of this war."

"But that's just how our world turns, Aominecchi." Kise smiled, he looked to the sky, out of that window. "Are you sick of this world?"

"I am." Was the simple answer Aomine gave. "I hate this world for separating us." His arms held the blond tighter. "Let's get away from this Kise."

"Hmm?" Kise sighed. There was no way out of this mess anyway. "What do you mean, Aominecchi?"

Aomine looked straight into the golden irises. He was serious. A seriousness Kise has never seen upon this face. War has consumed Aomine. –Kise may not have realized it yet –. It had damaged him so badly. He would do anything to get away from it.

"Let's flee Kise. Flee this war."

Even betrayal…

* * *

Aaaaaah there you go! 2nd chapter finished! Hope you enjoyed it!  
(Because it has damaged me so badly!)  
I suck at writing smut OTL.

I know Hyuga seems really out of character (I don't know why…)

As always translations for the French song:

Sing, nightingale, sing; you and your joyful heart  
You with your heart full of laughter, mine is only fit for weeping

I've lost my friend, undeservingly  
For a bouquet of roses, that I refused him.

**And here's a song I think fits us all**:

Six degrees of fangirling

First, you think the worst is a broken heart  
What's gonna kill you is the second part (a.k.a the feels)  
And the third, Is when your (virtual) world splits down the middle  
And fourth, you're gonna think that you fixed yourself  
Fifth, you see your OTP is not canon  
And the sixth, is when you admit that you may be messed up a little

(Inspired by Six degrees of Separation)

See you next time!


	4. Chapter 3 - Elusive

**Disclaimer:** Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki

**Title:** We, the Fallen – Chapter 3: Elusive

**Word count:** 6577

**Warning:** Characters' death, I can't promise that it won't be a bad ending. You've been warned.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Elusive

{-}

_Love is elusive._

_No matter how hard to try to grasp it in your hands, it will slip through your fingers, and get away.  
Impossible to understand, impossible to catch, impossible to tie down…_

{-}

* * *

The weather was lukewarm. He was really far north compared to the murderous desert, with its heat and sand, from before. The air was filled with the smells of pine trees and grass. It was not the smell of blood, not the smell of death, not the smell of the battlefields.

They were not at war.

They were not 'there'.

Kise longed for his companions, lost in the blazes of hatred and vengeance, out there, in the fire of the war. If only he was braver, he would be out there with them, killing by their sides, imposing as Kaijo's ace. But he was not. He was blinded with love, incapable to move around the darkness that has swallowed him. He was not brave enough to leave Aomine's side, even for a second more, for he has finally gained what he has wanted the most: the man's heart.

The villagers were nice people. When Kise and Aomine arrived there, drenched in sweat, out of breathe, and looking anything but trustworthy, they happily welcomed them. Not even once have they asked who the two strangers were or how they ended up in a faraway place like this. They told him about the little news they themselves had. But it was not much. It was not enough for Kise. They were far from any city, far from any clan. It was impossible to get precise information about the war, such as the strategies each lord placed or the casualties on each side.

Though he had no distinct idea of what the front line looked like right now. Kise could easily guess the sounds of soldiers dying, of families mourning, of warlords shouting…

Yet everything seemed so distant right then.

Kise did not desire to go to war. No, he did not long to fight. The only thing he craved for then was to be next to his clansman, to lead them, to shout to the top of his lungs Kaijo's motto: '_Incurvamus Nemini_'. He thirsted for the rush of adrenaline in his veins, for the sweetness victory has to offer him once he has cut off a general's head.

His hand gripped on his sword, unused and leaned against the wall of the house. He swung it a few times, pulled the blade out of the scabbard. It tore the air apart with a soft sound.

It has been a long time since he last swung his sword at someone.

No… He did not desire to fight…

But a few brawls could be nice…

Kise could hear a hawk. Far, far away...

"Oi Kise!" Aomine howled from behind him. Kise turned back. Since when has the tanned man been there?

"Ah!" Kise tried to brush it off with a laugh. "Aominecchi how was the walk?" He asked his lover.

"It was fine." Aomine answered bluntly while putting a paper bag on the table. From it he pulled out a bottle of milk, 3 potatoes, some tomatoes and mushrooms, and half a chicken. "I'll be the one making lunch today."

The blond man watched as Aomine took the goods to the kitchen. He started by washing the tomatoes and peeling their skin off. Aomine's broad back looked out of place in there. It made Kise smile.

Why did he ever long for the battle? Why would he? He's got this marvelous man making food for him…

"You're not the only one craving for the battlefield." Were the first words Aomine addressed to him as soon as he sat down on the table where lunch was ready.

"What are you talking about, Aominecchi?" Kise smiled. He started cutting the chicken in his plate for he no longer dared to look into those deep blue eyes.

"Each night, I dream about it too." Aomine started. "I dream about the yells, about the gush of blood in me, of the soldiers I killed and will kill. Kise, I want war. I want fights and rampage. I want to feel glory and pride. I want them as much as you do."

He stopped. Kise lifted his gaze to meet the two blue gems. They pulled him in once again, those beautiful eyes…

"But I won't go back there. And I won't let you go back either." Aomine pronounced clearly. "Even if there is a possibility that we will be on the same side of the battlefield, I won't let you get hurt anymore."

"Aomine…" Kise was wordless. He was touched. So this is the feeling of being loved? It felt so nice. He wanted to keep this feeling forever. He wanted this moment to last forever.

May the war never come in between them ever again.

{-}

It was mid-summer.  
16 days, 48 minutes and 3 seconds since the war started.

{-}

What a place to fight, the desert. The dry air and the cruel sun were mocking him from above. How long has it been since he ran out from that room? Since he lost sight of that pale blue?

Kagami Taiga swung his spear onto an enemy's head. Cut it off neatly. Blood splashed onto his wrists. He looked at them in disgust. He hated it. He hated its red color, as red as his hair. He hated to kill. He hated fight and violence. He hated all of it. It reminded him of so many things, too many.

A time, long ago, when he was a slave…

_From where he came from, it was cold in winter and hot in summer. Spring would come with the first blooming bud and autumn would be announced when the first yellow leaf fall from the tree. People were free there. Life was all about having fun and peace. He was happy, there with his best friend. He lived life at its fullest. He lived life._

_Everything came to an end so suddenly. He was torn away from that land, torn away from his home. They killed elders and children, kept the women to pleasure them and enslaved the men. They forced him and the others to march miles and miles to the south until they hit the vast sea and tossed them into boats._

_At the end of the voyage, only he and his best friend were left._

_A plague has taken the boat, killed every single soul in it. There was no mercy from it. One by one, men fell. And as the plague continued its massacre lazily, chaos and madness set in. People killed people. It no longer mattered if they were from the same family or not. Fear has taken half their reasons._

_At the end of the voyage, only blood, rotting bodies and two teenagers were left._

_The two did not even know where they had landed. They did not know how far they were from their home. And they did not dare set sail back onto the cruel sea for she would have devoured them._

_So they started to walk. They stopped at villages. They were captured, sold as slaves for their beautiful bodies, tossed around, forced to kill, and mistreated. They have fled, got beaten up, and fled again. But never were they separated._

_They found comfort in each others arms. Sex helped them forget the horrors around them. They were rough. They were violent. It has become what they were. They were lost._

_Their adventure stopped when he found a place to be. He found a new home, a new family, and a pale blue colored child. But his friend refused to stay. Somehow he refused to let go of his dangerous and reckless ways._

_And so they bid farewell to their former lives, to their former home…_

_to their former relationship…_

A blade whistled next to his ear, followed by a sharp pain to his left shoulder. He gritted his teeth.

"Taiga" His name was call softly. "Long time no see." There was a strange ironic tone to that familiar voice.

He turned around. How many years has it been since he last saw this man, since the day they parted at the frontier between desert and mountain? His dark purple eyes, his thin lips, the mole under his left eye, nothing changed.

Himuro Tatsuya, he was the man Kagami once considered as his own family. He was the man Kagami has embraced so many times, first, out of sadness, then, out of pity.

"Tatsuya…" He whispered. The war was still raging around him.

"This isn't really a place to talk." Himuro smiled. He shook his sword a few times to get rid of the blood on it. "But… if you insist, we can have a small fight." He pointed the tip of his blade at the redhead.

"You joined them!?" Kagami shouted. His tired hands gripped his spear tighter. "You're one of Yosen?"

Himuro never answered his old companion's question. He swung his rapier. A beautiful style, as if he was dancing. He learned it back home, in the lands across the sea. A land that no longer existed, a sword style that will never be passed on.

Kagami did his best to defend himself from those quick attacks. He could not bring himself to strike back. He could not, for the man before him would forever be his brother. Even if he tried to tell himself that it has all ended. Even is he tried to tell himself that those days of running away and surviving only for the other were gone. They were already engraved in his soul. An eternal brotherly love…

Brotherly love, that has never been what Himuro wanted. He wanted more. He wanted more from this man. This man that has always been by his side… He thought… He sincerely thought that it would be like that forever. And when he finally got those arms around him, they were not filled with love, but pity. He never gained what he desired most from Kagami. And, eventually, lost the man… He lost the only thing he has ever wanted to a despicable blue boy.

"Where is he? You know… that little blue being you love so much." Himuro asked Kagami. He looked around the grounds but could not see the secretary anywhere. "Don't tell me you lost him on the battlefield? Poor thing won't survive for long…"

"Don't underestimate Kuroko!" Kagami growled.

A sudden fear gripped Kagami's heart. He trusted Kuroko. He trusted that boy with all his heart. When Kuroko insisted that he was a man of Teiko and will never lose a battle, he believed in the small blue haired boy. But… in a war like this one, where humanity has vanished and men fell like insects, death can come even to the strongest warrior.

He will no longer hesitate to stab this man. He will not. A boy can always have a fight with his brother, right? Even if the fight becomes violent and one of them will end up shedding blood…

"You're weak Taiga!" Himuro stated. "Look around you! Can't you see just how weak Seirin is? Come with me. Come fight along my side. Yosen is strong." He stretched his left arm towards the redhead.

"No. I won't leave Kuroko." Kagami did not even need time to think about it. Seirin was his home. He would never betray his clan. He would never betray his heart.

Himuro bit his lips. He would never get what he wants. But his heart has been far too damaged to break once more. "_Taiga… Don't leave me_." He wanted to shout. "_Please love me! I love you so much. Why can't you see how I feel? Why can't you be mine?_" How he would have loved to be held out of love by this man. He has always been there. He has always been the closest. _So why?_

If he can't have this man's love, he would rather kill him right then.

His hand gripped the sword tightly. So much, it feels like his bleeding underneath his glove. So much, it hurts.

A long low sound came from behind Kagami. It was the sound of a conch being blown along with the sounds of a bell. This was the signal to retreat. The redhead glared at his brother by oath. A last sight of the fair skinned slightly older man, a last goodbye to his childhood.

Seirin, Touo and Kaijo retreated.

It was not yet the end.

War destroyed a lot of things. Bounds being one of them.

{-}

19 days, 3 hours, 16 minutes and 46 seconds since the war started.

{-}

Akashi Seijuro pushed the white horse from the chess table. It fell to the ground and broke in a piercing sound. He smiled. Everything has been just as he planned. Seirin, Touo and Kaijo were taken by surprise. Shuutoku has been defeated in a matter of second and now the clan no longer existed. He glanced at the large map in his general tent where a large cross has been drawn upon the fallen name.

"Sleep, veteran king." He whispered to himself.

"I do feel bad for Kurochin." Murasakibara, sitting on the floor, uttered.

"It's normal to feel bad for an old friend Atsushi." Akashi answered while passing his hand through the purple hair. "Where's your new friend?"

"I let Murochin alone. He said he wanted to be alone." Murasakibara stated. He gobbled down another pastry the red emperor offered him. It was sweet, based on citruses and chocolate. "He said he was going to meet his brother." He added.

"Is that so?" Akashi stroked the violet locks. He bent down from his chair to kiss the soft cheek. The hand that was stroking the hair lowered to the taller man's chest. It lowered and lowered, until it met bigger hands. Still, it did not stop and continued its way down to the crotch. "You know ever since you found a new play toy, I've been kind of frustrated." He whispered into the other's ear. "Plus, we have to celebrate this victory..." He started nibbling the ear.

"Akachin's mean." Murasakibara whined. "You've found more toys than me, haven't you?" The violet giant kissed the smaller man. He could feel the small hand slip through his belt and pants, into his underpants.

{-}

19 days, 3 hours, 22 minutes and 46 seconds since the war started.

{-}

Hyuga inhaled as much tobacco as he could. He blew a few smoke rings to distract himself. His left hand held Izuki's hips firmly.

"What are the plans?" Kasamatsu asked from the other side of the room. They were in a bad position, in a bottom of a dangerous well. So deep, he could no longer see any light to guide them out. He could no longer see anything without the radiant golden light of his disappeared ace.

"We retreated, but they are still out there. And they will not let us regain our strength for long." Imayoshi scoffed. His sly smile has disappeared. He too, has lost his blue warrior.

Takao and Midorima, the two last men of Shuutoku, were also in the room. Midorima has not uttered a word since the fall of his clan. Takao was communicating with his hawk, silently. He glanced a few time in Kasamatsu's direction. Then, without even moving his lips, continued his conversation with the bird.

"We lost a lot of our men. That is true. But there are still some chances we can take." Izuki said. He was probably the only one in the room who was still smiling. "If you are willing to listen to what I have to say."

{-}

24 days, 17 hours, 59 minutes and 06 seconds since the war started.

{-}

Kagami searched. He searched every room in the headquarters. He erred between the hundreds of wounded in search of a blue glimpse. He looked in every stash he knew of the garden. He shouted the name a million times. He searched and searched and searched. But he never found it. And in every hour that passed by, in every minute, he could feel his heart shatter. The pieces slowly falling into a void.

"Kuroko!" He screamed desperately inside the room where he last saw the boy. His knees failed him and he fell to the ground. A hard and cold, marble floor. His fingers were trembling. He has never been in this state before, not even during that voyage.

He was terrified, terrified of losing.

"Kuroko, please be back. Please let me hold you in this room once again." He whispered out.

"If that's what you want, Kagami." A soft voice rang from the door.

Kagami turned around. There he was. Slightly wounded. But there he was.

"I'll let you hold me until morning." Kuroko smiled.

{-}

24 days, 17 hours, 59 minutes and 08 seconds since the war started.

{-}

Kise looked up. The sky was blue. A blue so bright, it made him sick. How can the world continue on so peacefully while thousands of lives were dying? He put up his thump and blotted the sun.

He could see a hawk circling in the sky. This was not the first time. The hawk would stalk him, rounding high above in the azure. It observed his every movement. And, as soon as it sees an opening, it will attack him, merciless. He could already feel its claws in his neck, tearing him, devouring him.

Kise looked up. What a fearful sky it was.

{-}

57 days, 05 hours, 09 minutes and 53 seconds since the war has started.

{-}

Silence. Kise set the plates on the table. The grilled meat was still sizzling on both dishes. And the potatoes fried with rosemary looked delicious. But somehow, Kise could not bring himself to smile, or be hungry. The sole sight of the bread at the corner of the table turned his stomach around.

How long has it been since the day he left Seirin? How long has he been living this envious, peaceful life?

Aomine came out of the kitchen with a bottle of water. He put it on the table and sat right away.

"Aren't you going to sit, Kise?" The tanned man asked as he saw the blond still hesitant on whether to sit or not. "Come on. Let's eat." He insisted. The blond gave up and sat down in front of him. Kise poured some water in his glass. He looked pale somehow.

The dinner went by quietly. Neither of them spoke, for neither of them had anything to say. Aomine did not go hunting that day, so he had no stories to tell. Kise did not even leave the bed. For the whole day, they just cuddled each other and whispered sweet words. They kissed. So much they've lost count of how many times.

"Aominecchi, I have to talk to you." Kise started. He was serious. He had to tell what has been going on his mind these last few days.

"What is it?" Aomine said while munching on his steak. He continued to cut the meat on his plate, ignoring the fact that the other party has not even touched his own food yet.

"I... Don't you think it's unfair of us to be here? I mean... to live so happily together?" Kise could not shake the thought that his clansman might be dead. That he might never get to see them again. He dreamed of it at night, and would wake up in sweat and regret. Even if the warmth beside him calmed him each time that happened, he felt like he could go mad.

"What are you trying to imply?" Aomine stopped his meal. He looked straight at the golden irises. The fingers on the fork and the knife tightened.

"Shouldn't we... go back there?" Kise tried out. He already knew how Aomine would react. Aomine would always be Aomine. Reckless. Uncaring. Insensitive. He would never change, not for Kise, not for anyone.

Aomine stood up instantly. He grabbed the half-full plate and brought it back to the kitchen. Kise stood behind him.

"Aominecchi" The blond called out. "Aominecchi... I"

"Just shut up Kise." Aomine interrupted the man. He no longer wanted to continue this conversation. For it scared him more than anything.

"We..." Kise started again. He was not going to back, or else he would never get this weight off his chest. He wanted to talk with Aomine, to have a descent conversation about their relationship, about what was coming up next. He wanted to talk like lovers do. Not the sweet pillow talk. A real talk.

"We are not going back." The tanned man shouted. "Kise, we are not going back to that place, to war!" No, he would never let Kise leave, be it with him or without him. He would never let that golden be stained by red, by the color of death. He would never risk. He could not imagine it. He did not want to lose that golden tint, for he knew Kise would never survive long enough in the battlefield.

Kise was beautiful. Kise was gorgeous. He was a sunflower. His place was not at war, was not in the middle of that sort of carnage. He was made to be in a large room, with a large window where he could gaze upon the outside world, to be idolized and loved. Yes, that was what Kise was destined for. A flower. A jewel. Not a warrior. Not like Aomine. Stained in blood. Dirty. Disgusting.

"This conversation is over." Aomine ended the endless talking that has been going on for way too long. His head ached. He just wanted to leave this house, leave this blond for awhile. He would go to a bar, drink everything he could. He would come back the next morning, then Kise would just hug, kiss him and never pick up the subject ever again. Then they would have sex until dusk. He would make love to the blond gently to repent his sins. He would hold onto that muscular body for eternity. He would never let go. Ah... yes that... he would do that.

Aomine headed out the kitchen, to the front door. Kise stopped him. "Where are you going?" He asked, his voice about to tumble down.

"To the bar. I need some booze right now." The blue haired man snorted. His hand was already on the knob.

"No!" Kise grabbed Aomine's arm. "Don't go Aominecchi!"

To Aomine, Kise has never sounded so lost, so desperate. But he could not care less. He could not bare to see that face anymore tonight. He had to get out, get his mind on something else. There was not a word he could say to Kise that would change the blond's mind. He knew that best. So he refused to try.

"You're being unreasonable Kise." He snatched his arm away and walked out the door.

Behind, Kise's arms were still in the air, as if still holding someone in them. Holding on so tightly, so desperately, like a little child would on nights of thunders and storms. He trembled. His eyes burned, they were burning so badly. He felt like his tears were acid. They consumed his cheeks, running down the soft skin more than ever.

Behind, he could hear the piercing cry of a hawk. He could feel its stare on his back. Wings fluttering. Claws ticking in the wooden table. Beak clacking.

"Kise Ryouta..." A voice, a human voice called him.

It ripped his heart off his chest.

{-}

113 days, 23 hours, 39 minutes and 53 seconds since the war has started.

{-}

The tides have changed. They now had the upper hand. Finally. As war has drained them not only of their hope, but also of their pride. They did what they had. Even if it was without pride. Even if they had to throw away their humanity. They were finally having an upper hand.

The joy they felt was no longer glory or victory. It was just an instinctive joy of being alive, of being able to kill another being, knowing that they will not survive, to bathe in their blood and loss. A simple, bestial joy.

Rakuzan and Yosen were losing. Seirin, Touo, and Kaijo were winning.

It was as unbelievable and as simple as that.

Tides changes depending on the moon, wars too.

The war has not ended. But it is seeing its final days... Anything could happen in a few days.

Winner and losers. Nobody could tell how. Nobody could tell why.

{-}

168 days, 11 hours, 11 minutes and 11 seconds since the war has started.

{-}

"Kise! Oi Kise! Let's go for a walk!" Aomine shouted as soon as he arrived home. He nearly threw the groceries on the table. The blue haired was so excited, for the news he just heard made his heart burst out of joy. "Come on! Where are you Kise?" He searched around the living room, the bedroom and the kitchen but did not see that glint of gold.

"Kise!" He called the man again. Where did his lover go?

Aomine snorted and brought the groceries to the kitchen, a bit disappointed. He wanted to share the news he just heard with the blond. But it seemed like he would have to wait for that.

"What's going on Aominecchi?" Kise walked out of the shower. It was roughly past noon and he did not expect the tanned man to be back so soon. "Did you find something interesting at the market?"

"More than interesting! The fish seller told me! The war... it's over." Aomine clamored. "It's over, Kise." He looked at the blond with loving eyes. Now that the war was over, nothing would ever threaten them ever again. Nothing could separate them now.

But the blond did not seem as happy as he thought he would. Kise just smiled. His right hand gripped his left wrist. "That's good news." He said softly. "We should celebrate that tonight." He walked to the taller man and gave him a kiss.

Aomine pulled Kise away. "We should celebrate it now!" He insisted. "Where's you sword? Let's duel! It's been awhile." He glanced around the small house. A childish smile was upon his face. It has been such a long time since Kise last saw it, it instantly chased away all his fear.

"You're getting over excited." Kise chuckled. His right hand was holding Aomine's. He refused to let it go. "I've never won you on a duel!" He continued. A beautiful smile decorated his face.

"I'll go easy on you this time!" Aomine said then turned around. He spotted Kise's rapier in the bedroom. He jerked his hand away from Kise's grip.

"Don't let go!" Kise said rapidly as soon as he lost the warmth between his fingers.

Aomine stopped. "Did you say something Kise?" He asked. He did not quite hear what the blond said.

"No... It's nothing." Kise's lips curved into a smile. "Let's go outside Aominecchi." He picked up his sword and walked out the door.

He could hear it, far away, a hawk's screech.

{-}

4 days, 19 hours, 00 minutes and 07 seconds since the war has ended.

{-}

It was a slightly cold winter day. Summer has long passed by, followed by autumn. Even if the war has ended, Aomine and Kise decided to continue on with their laid back lives. They liked it, this kind of life. Just living on day by day...

"Why did you have to insist to have a picnic today Kise?" Aomine grumbled. He has never been good with cold weather, for he was a man of the desert.

"Oh come on, Aominecchi!" Kise smiled happily. "The lake looks pretty with the gray sky!" He unfolded the nap and sat on it.

A month has passed by since the end of war. Rumors were that Seirin, along with Touo and Kaijo, won. They did not know what happened to Rakuzan and Yosen. The villagers did not have that much information.

Aomine sat next to Kise. His cold hand held onto Kise's overly warm fingers. It helped him quite a bit.

"I'm cold..." He whined more.

"Do you want me to warm you up, Aominecchi?" Kise smirked.

He pushed the ancient nomad down to the cold nap and cropped him. The blond started his kiss on the man's nose, lowered to his lips, lowered to his neck. Aomine hummed peacefully. It felt nice to have Kise take this much lead. His pants were slightly pulled down – since it was truly cold outside –. Kise kissed the burning tip. He could feel the thumping of the blood.

"Come on Kise. If you're going to suck it. Suck it." Aomine growled.

Kise smiled. As insensitive and unromantic as ever... he thought. He licked down the shaft, gave the balls loving suckles and finally took the whole length inside his mouth. He used his own fingers to penetrate himself. He wanted to be prepared as soon as possible. He wanted Aomine inside of him as soon as possible.

"Ah shit... Kise I want you." Aomine moaned. He grabbed Kise's soft hair and pulled the blond up from his organ. "I want you now." He whispered into his lover's ear, sending a shiver down that delicate spine. He hands crawled up the light skinned stomach, making their ways to the pink nipples while the blond slowly wrapped himself around his figure.

Kise's body was warm around his. His insides were even warmer, it burned his cock. The man's soft whines and moans excited him more than any other sounds. He pounded hardly into that fragile ass.

"Aominecchi... Aominecchi." Kise cried next to his ear. Aomine's hands tightened on the blond's ass cheeks.

"Do you love me?" Was Kise's weird question. But Aomine was way too carried away by the act to think straight. "I love you, Kise." He whispered back, feeling the muscles clenching around him.

"Daiki... Daiki..." Kise cried. His beautiful tears mixed with sweat fell onto the dark face. There were scarily cold.

"Ryouta..." Aomine called back.

{-}

35 days, 02 hours, 58 minutes and 37 seconds since the war has ended.

{-}

The walk back to the house was silent. It was comfortable. Kise wished time would stop right there, on that dirt road, with Aomine. They would just continue on walking down the path for the end of times. Then, they would be together, forever and ever. Ever. Ever. Ever.

But everything must come to an end. They arrived at their house just as the sun was setting down. Aomine let go of his hand and opened the door for him.

"It's freezing." He whined. "Hurry up and get in, Ryouta." He called out the name. He has always wanted to call Kise by his given name. And now, he can do it for the rest of his life.

Kise stepped in.

"I love you, Daiki." He uttered softly.

He did not take his coat off. He just stood there, smiling. Something was off. Aomine could feel it. Something about that smile told him to grab that hand and run away as fast as possible.

"Ryou..."

There was a loud _thud_. A sharp pain traveled down his back. His vision became hazy. He could see Kise, and another man behind him. He knew that man. They have met once, back in Seirin. _Takao Kazunari_.

Everything faded to black.

{-}

35 days, 05 hours, 19 minutes and 36 seconds since the war has ended.

{-}

_plop... plop... plop_

He could hear the water falling in a corner of the dark cellar. The only light he was allowed to was given to him from an arrowslit high above.

He did not know where he was. Though, he had an idea how he got here.

The firsts days, he screamed and punched the rock walls. He shouted his lover's name until his throat became sore and eventually, he lost his voice. The days that came by afterward, he kicked, punched and scratched the walls. He did it so much his fingers opened, his arms were wounded all over.

Eventually, he lost track of time. He no longer knew if the light he saw was the sunlight or a simple candle. All energy deserted him and his tired body was left on the cold cellar ground.

He thought of the time where he held that warm body of his lover. How his name was called. He feared that those moment would be gone forever. He feared that his would be forever separated from that person.

How long has it been since that day by the lake?

The cellar's metal door suddenly opened. The sudden light that filled the small area blinded him. His weak body was dragged out. For the first time of his life, he enjoyed and realized the importance of sunlight on his skin.

Aomine Daiki was brought up the stairs, through numerous hallways, and finally into a large room on the ground floor. He recognized Seirin's Arabic paintings and structures. He could see a large garden from the room where he was. It was a small oasis in the cruel sand ocean. The flowers were blooming – for there were no winters in the desert –. He could smell the faint scent of jasmines. He has been underground all this time...

Kasamatsu Yukio was looking straight at him. He was seated on a cushion, a bottle of wine to his left and the cup to his right. His own lord was there too. But Imayoshi was no longer smiling. He could no longer see the slyness in those eyes.

War has changed a lot of people. Imayoshi and Kasamatsu were no exception.

The guards left the three of them alone together.

"Where's Kise?" Aomine asked coarsely. His voice was broken. His lips were chapped. He barely had the strength to stand on his feet.

"Aomine Daiki." Kasamatsu did not answer his question. "You are to be stripped off of your rank and exiled to the North..." He coldly said Aomine's repent without even meeting the ocean blue eyes. Imayoshi did not utter a word either.

"Where is Kise?" Aomine growled. The high and mighty act was getting him on his nerves. All he wanted to know was where the blond was. All he wanted to do was to get a glimpse of that golden color and hold onto it for the rest of his life.

"I do hope that you realize the graveness of your acts upon Kai..."

"I'm asking you where Kise is!" Aomine raged. He grabbed the warlord's collar and used the few force he had left to lift the smaller man up. "Tell me. Now." He mouthed each word.

Kasamatsu's blue eyes looked right into his. They pierced him like a spear. He could feel hatred in them. A hatred, so great, it terrified him.

"Kise Ryouta..."

_**Je voudrais que la rose fut encore au rosier**_

was beheaded ten days ago." The lord pronounced each word carefully, cutting through the blue haired man's heart like a dagger. "He gave his life alone in exchange of yours."

_**Et que ma douce amie fut encore à m'aimer**_

"Kaijo isn't as flexible as Touo is." Imayoshi murmured behind him. "When the war ended. We sent Takao to retrieve you guys. Kise begged him for another month with you. He begged for your life. And we gave him what he wanted."

"You killed him!" Aomine barked. He threw Kasamatsu onto the floor.

His hands were trembling. A feeling he has never known gripped his heart. It gripped and ripped the poor organ into pieces. It damaged his heart so badly, it would be impossible to mend it back together once more. A big lump formed in his throat. He could no longer say a word. For he knew that if he did, his tears would fall and never stop.

He lost.

He lost to this war.

This _fucking _war.

Aomine snatched Kasamatsu's sword. He was not going to kill the lord. Even though he desired it deeply, he knew Kise would hate him if he did. So he could not bring himself to wield the blade at the older man, and neither at his own lord. No... He could not bring himself to do that.

The blue warrior staggered to the window. He could still smell the jasmines outside. He climbed up, swaying a little, and fell miserably out on the other side. Neither Kasamatsu nor Imayoshi tried to stop him. They just silently watched as he wavered across the garden.

Aomine spotted a large, darkened pool on the marble in the middle of the garden. He might not be the brightest, but it took him nothing to understand the meaning behind this stained place.

This was where Kise died.

This was where they cut off his head.

So cruelly...

So...

What were Kise's last words? Probably something like _You have to live on Aominecchi. Live on for me. Be happy for me. _or _I love you Daiki. _He did not even get to hear them...

He lost it. The simple imagination of Kise's horrid last moments made him nauseous. Anger took over him. He screamed and waved pointlessly his weapon around.

Live on? Who was Kise fucking with? How can he live on?

How can he continue to breathe when his heart has stopped?

"Ryouta!" Aomine screamed. His voice shook. The tears he never knew existed drenched his face.

Guards – probably ordered by Kasamatsu – came to fetch him. He swung his sword at them, started a ruckus, killed a few, and continued on. He slashed a head off, pierced a lung, carved a skull. He could feel numerous blades plunge into him, destroying his organs, tearing away his life. But he could careless. Living. Being alive, That kind of nonsense did not matter to him anymore.

The firmament was of an intensive blue.

One last time, Aomine roared at the sky.

{-}

0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes and 01 second since the war's last casualty.

{-}

A soft voice sang softly.

"What is that song Kuroko?" Kagami asked his lover who has been looking out the window since that morning. Kuroko was unusually quiet that day.

"It's an old song... about two lovers that missed each other one day and never got to see each other again." Kuroko said softly. His lips were trembling. The redhead knew that the boy was holding everything in.

At far, they could hear a familiar voice roaring. Then all went silent. Kuroko closed his eyes and inhaled hardly. Kagami held his shoulders. He kissed the white neck softly.

_**Il y a longtemps que je t'aime**_

_**Jamais je ne t'oublierai**_

FIN.

* * *

« _Je voudrais que la rose fut encore au rosier  
Et que ma douce amie fut encore à m'aimer_ »

I wish that the rose was still on the rosebush  
And that my dear friend was still in love with me.

« _Il y a longtemps que je t'aime  
Jamais je ne t'oublierai_ »

I've loved you for a long, long time  
I will never forget you.

So there it is folks... the end. If I made you cry (hopefully I did) then I am not sorry. Ok kidding, I am.

I really do know that there are way too many fics out there where Kise dies or become a cripple or so on. But I really wanted to turn my fic this way and I hope you're not to horrified by it.

There's still an epilogue coming by. And maybe some extras about the other characters? I don't know... It will depend on the time I have.

And so on, as always, I hope you liked this story.

See you next time!

-Aurakann


	5. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki

**Title:** We, the Fallen – Epilogue

**Word count:** 739

* * *

{-}

Epilogue

{-}

The loud buzzer announced the end of the game. The court was drenched in sweat and youth. The ten players on the grounds stood motionless and silent. It was the end. An actual end. It was the term of a path, a beginning of another one... but only one team had that honor to continue down that way.

Aomine glanced at the score board. 110 to 98. The blue haired snorted. It was to be expected. Touo would never lose. _He_ would never lose. Not to Kise. Not to anybody.

He heard the shoes squeaking under the broken teenager, as the blond tried to stand. All efforts were in vain. Kise could no longer get up. His legs hurt him. He could barely feel them, but they hurt. They hurt him so badly. Aomine watched as his ex teammate gritted his teeth in anger and pain. The smaller body was trembling slightly.

Kise punched the ground. A final sign of total defeat, of total loss. Aomine just stood there, unable to say anything, unable to do anything. What was there to say to a loser? Nothing really. Nothing can be said to calm a broken heart. Nothing can be done to put back those broken pieces.

Kise stopped trying. He just sat there, on the cold floor, cursing his inability. His inability to fight the tanned man. His inability to go above that admiration. His inability to stop loving that egocentric bastard.

Aomine just stared at the broken golden piece of a player. What was he to do?

A hand was given. Both Aomine and Kise looked at the person stretching his hand towards the blond. It was Kasamatsu.

"Can you stand?" He asked with his stoic face. "Hang in there a little longer..."

Those words pierced Kise as much as Aomine.

For Kise, they were the painful words of comfort. Words that were telling him to face the truth. He lost. He lost his battle.

For Aomine, they were the words he could not utter. And so, those words, left inside, manifested by cutting his heart.

Aomine walked away. He refused to see Kise hold that hand – though, if he had turned around, he would have seen that that was not the case –. He refused to see Kise supporting his crumbled body on another man's shoulders. He could hear the sobs from behind him. A faint and shaking call of a name that was not his. And those simple noises tore him.

{-}

Aomine left the stadium before anybody else could. The last thing he wanted was to be with his teammates. Plus, he could not shake the thought of Kise still being with that upper class man away.

He was the one who sent Kise to the ground.

He should be the one to pick Kise up.

And what was this unsettling feeling? Like something is going wrong. As if he was supposed to do something else. He felt as if the blond would only drift away from him.

Like every time...

_Like every time?_

His own thoughts were getting confusing. What did he mean 'like every time'? Why was that feeling of loss so familiar? Aomine looked at his hand. He could see blood on it. His hand, stained in blood. Where did it come from? Why isn't he freaking out? It seemed so normal... too normal, for his hand to have this aspect. He could feel the blazes of a war. He could hear the battle shouts and the dying.

He could feel his heart stop from the loss of a loved one.

Something was missing in his hand. A soft touch. A warm tickling. A loving weave.

The blood in his hand... It was not from the enemy.

It was...

The long sound of a honk pulled him back to the actual world. He glared at the car that just passed by. Aomine looked at his hand once again. It was back as normal, clean, no traces of blood. It was the hand he used to play basketball. It was the hand he used to hurt Kise an hour ago.

Aomine clenched that hand. He did not know what those random visions were. He did not know what happened to him.

But he knew one thing.

The next time he sees the blond, he will grab onto that person's hand.

And never let go.

He will never let go of that hand again.

* * *

There, all done. The finale of this fanfic.  
As for now, this is all there will be. But as I've said, there may be some other extra chapters. I really want to develop Kagami and Kuroko's story, and also some Midorima and Takao would be nice...  
I'm also thinking of a number of series inspired from this fanfic where in each universe, Aomine loses Kise, until finally, he decided to do something about it. But yeah... I don't even know if that fanfic will ever see the light...  
Hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you next time!

-Aurakann.


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